PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For WM Phoenix Open

PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For WM Phoenix Open

Following a multi-week stretch of golfers competing on multiple courses, a field of 132 players is set to compete at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course in Scottsdale, Arizona, during the 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Wyndham Clark will be in attendance, following his epic -12-under-par finish at Pebble Beach in the third round, climbing into first-place, which wound up giving Clark the outright win due to poor weather conditions. The main man at TPC Scottsdale though, undoubtedly, is Scottie Scheffler. The elite ball-striker will attempt to win the WM Phoenix Open for the third consecutive time, a feat which hasn't been done in over a decade. Scheffler's irons and tee-to-green prowess align perfectly with the demands of TPC Scottsdale.

Plenty of other notable players will be competing despite the WM Phoenix Open not qualifying as a Signature Event. Household names include Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Max Homa, Sam Burns, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim, Jordan Spieth, and Hideki Matsuyama.

PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is back with his latest PGA power rankings and how to wager the outright betting market ahead of Thursday's opening tee times at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open.

WM PHOENIX OPEN DATE, START TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH

• Date: February 8-11, 2024
• Where: TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course), Scottsdale, Arizona
• Where to Watch: ESPN+, Golf Channel, NBC

WM PHOENIX OPEN COURSE

TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course is a par 71 that runs 7,261 yards on Bermudagrass fairways and a mixture of Tifeagle Bermudagrass, rye, PoaTrivia, and Bentgrass greens. Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish designed this course, which was established in 1988, which has evolved into a raucous atmosphere of viewers, particularly on the par 3 16th hole.

Fairways are wider than at previous courses played, while the number of sand traps is also reduced. No coastal winds are present in Phoenix, but the weather is projected to be cold and damp for the area throughout the event. Two inch rough isn't nearly as daunting, while a minimal number of water hazards places a premium on distance and ball-striking. The Bermudagrass greens run up to 12 feet via Stimpmeter, which is the default velocity players are accustomed to playing on the PGA Tour.

WM PHOENIX OPEN ODDS

WM PHOENIX OPEN POWER RANKINGS

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER (+450) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

There isn't much to say about Scottie Scheffler other than his consistency at TPC Scottsdale. He finished in seventh before ripping off back-to-back wins at this event in 2022 and 2023, winning in a playoff against Patrick Cantlay back in 2022.

Scheffler ranks eighth in total strokes gained, including fifth approaching the green, fourth tee-to-green, and first for greens in regulation percentage. Investing in Scheffler in the outright betting market seems like a sure-fire lock, but his putter needs to cooperate in order to achieve a three-peat, which we haven't seen since 2011.

JUSTIN THOMAS (+1000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

Justin Thomas' 2023 struggles were well-documented, but he appears fully back to his winning form. While he hasn't won an event outright yet in 2024, Thomas ranks first in strokes gained tee-to-green, seventh approaching the green, and second around the green. His putting has been bad, ranked 172nd in strokes gained putting, but Thomas has racked up T20 finishes at the WM Phoenix Open since 2018. He's certainly worth investing a unit on at +1000 odds.

MATT FITZPATRICK (+3000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

Another player who can flex his irons and ball-striking, Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick enters the WM Phoenix Open at +3000 odds in the outright betting market. Fitzpatrick is 25th for greens in regulation percentage, while also ranking 31st in distance from edge of fairway, meaning he avoids bad lies consistently.

Fitzpatrick also ranks 12th in birdie or better conversion percentage, but his strokes gained metrics don't necessarily reflect his ability to sink putts with the flat stick. Fitzpatrick's volatile, streaky play means we're only wagering .25 units, but at +3000, it's worth the investment at a course like TPC Scottsdale.

SAHITH THEEGALA (+3500) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

One of the rising stars on the PGA Tour, Sahith Theegala nearly won outright at this event in 2022, finishing T3 alongside Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka at -15-under-par. Theegala is one of the better putters this season, ranking 37th in strokes gained putting, while 50th in strokes gained off-the-tee.

He'll need to clean up his approach game, ranked 78th in strokes gained on approach, but he crushes the driver, ranking 22nd for driving distance on all drives. Theegala's comfort level at this course, combined with his recent outright win at Fortinet this past September, make him a viable candidate to sprinkle on at +3500 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

BEAU HOSSLER (+5000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

The casual golf fan may not be familiar with Beau Hossler's name, but his game has been very consistent in 2024. Hossler has been sharp, particularly in strokes gained around the green (7th) and strokes gained putting (6th) this season. In the past two weeks, he's recorded a T6 at Farmers and T14 at Pebble Beach. In 2023 at TPC Scottsdale, Hossler recorded a T14 finish, including -8-under-par in the final round. +5000 only need 0.10 units invested in order to bring back a nice profit, as the 28-year-old seeks his first career win.

KEVIN YU (+8000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS

Kevin Yu is essentially playing on a local course at TPC Scottsdale, giving him an edge over a lot of the field in this event. Yu has been playing great to start the 2024 season, despite finishing T58 at Pebble Beach. Prior to that outing, Yu had gone T3 and T6 during the American Express and Farmers Insurance Open events.

Yu excels off of the tee box, ranking sixth in strokes gained off-the-tee, while ranking 60th in strokes gained on approach. His putter and chipping game need some serious work though, but ranking ninth in total driving gives Yu a chance to climb up the leaderboard this weekend. He also ranks 18th in going for the green, so at +8000 odds, another 0.10 unit investment is a good decision to make as Yu prepares to play at a course he's very familiar with due to attending Arizona State during his collegiate career.

OTHER ODDS

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